Jeremiah 42:1

1 Then all the army leaders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Azariah son of Hoshaiah, came with people of every class

Jeremiah 42:1 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 42:1

Then all the captains of the forces
Having taken up their residence at the habitation of Chimham, in their way to Egypt, where they were desirous of going, and being afraid of the Chaldeans, as they pretended: and Johanan the son of Kareah;
or, "even Johanan" ^F19; especially and particularly he, the principal captain and chief spokesman in this affair: and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah;
said to be the son of a Maachathite, ( Jeremiah 40:8 ) ; and all the people from the least even unto the greatest:
a phrase expressive of the universality of them in the strongest terms: came near;
that is, to Jeremiah; who either was at Mizpah when Gedaliah was slain, but preserved by the Lord; and though carried captive by Ishmael with the rest, was rescued by Johanan; and now along with him: or rather after he had been with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and made a short stay there, he went to Anathoth, and there abode till now; and when Johanan took those that were left at Mizpah, he gathered together all the rest of the Jews in different places to him, in order to go to Egypt, and among the rest the Prophet Jeremiah; for it can hardly be thought, had he been at Mizpah when Ishmael was there, he would have escaped without a miracle.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Nnxwyw) "imprimis Johanan", Schmidt; "nempe Johanan", Piscator, Grotius.

Jeremiah 42:1 In-Context

1 Then all the army leaders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Azariah son of Hoshaiah, came with people of every class

2 and said to me, "Please do what we ask you! Pray to the Lord our God for us. Pray for all of us who have survived. Once there were many of us; but now only a few of us are left, as you can see.

3 Pray that the Lord our God will show us the way we should go and what we should do."

4 I answered, "Very well, then. I will pray to the Lord our God, just as you have asked, and whatever he says, I will tell you. I will not keep back anything from you."

5 Then they said to me, "May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not obey all the commands that the Lord our God gives you for us.

Footnotes

• [a]. [One ancient translation (see also 43.2)] Azariah; [Hebrew] Jezaniah.